Fire and draft regulating system.



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C. D. ST'rLWAH G. DOWN,

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3 SHEETS--SHEEI l4 INVENTOR Canton D. Src/zwom* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARLTON' D. STEWART AND SIDNEY G. DOWN, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

FIRE AND DRAFT REGULATING SYSTEM.

Application led August 9. 1917.

1 u uw w/wm it may concern Be it known that we, CARLTON D. S'rnwau'r and SIDNEY G. DOWN, citizens of the United States, residents of Berkeley, in the county 'of Alameda and State of California, have .jointly invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fire and Draft Regidating Systems, oi which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for regulating the stoking of boilers` and more particularly where liquid fuel is employed.

One object of our invention is to provide a lboiler stoking apparatus which is adapted to control combustion, either automatically, manually, or partly manually and partly automatically.

Another object is to provide an improved stoking apparatus adapted to be controlled by variations in 'steam boiler pressure.

The exhaust steam pressure in a locomotive is employed to force the draft and since the exhaust steam pressure will var v with the load on the locomotive, the effect of the forced draft will be varied and this exerts a certain inliuence on the combustion of the liquid fuel; for example', if the oil burners are placed at the front cud of the ire box. the jet of fire will be toward the rear of the boilers and away from the fines. When the locomotive is working heavily, the tendency is for the draft in the fines to pull the re forward; and in this case. it is necessary to increase the amount of steam for atomizing purposes to overcome the draft through the lucs and draw the lire to the extreme rear end of the fire. box. 0n the other hand, if the fuel burners are loc-ated in the` back of the fire box, with the'fiame directly fol'-` ward, an increased draft through the flues, occasioned b v the engine working heavily, would pull the fire in the directiony of the fines, in which case, it might be desirable to even decrease the amount .of steam used in' atomizing. It will thus be seen that the effect of variations in draft brought about by differences in the pressure of exhaust steam from the engine, have an effect onv the action of the fuel oil burners.

In order to compensate for the etlect of variations in forced draft due to variations in the exhaust steam pressure, another object of our invention is to provide auxiliary means controlled by the exhaust steam pressure for also regulating the stoking of the boiler.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

Serial No. 185,351.

In order to maintain a predetermined desired boiler pressure in the boiler, the rate of fuel applied, and consequently the degree of lire, provided, should be regulated in accordance with the variations in steam boiler pressure. And since, as before stated, regulation of the oil burners should also be coiurollcd by the degree of exhaust steam pressure from the engine, another feature ol our invention consists in providing means for automatically controlling the fire both by variations in steam boiler pressure and by variations in exhaust steamv pressure.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View of a boiler stoking apparatus applied to a locomotive steam boiler, and embodying our invention; Fig. 2 a sectional view of the yapparatus. shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 a side elevation. partly in section, of a locomotive, showing the boiler stoking apparatus applied thereto.

As shown in the drawings, the apparatus may comprise amaincontrollerl adapted to be operated by steam pressure from the boiler, an auxiliary controller 2 adapted to `be controlled by exhaust steam, and a valve mechanism 3 adapted to be operated by said controller for regulating the flow of atomiziug Steam and liquid fuel to the burners,

The main controller 1 may comprise a flanged casting to which is secured a casing 4 having a piston chamber 5 containing a piston 6. f

One side of the piston 6 is subject to the pressure of a coil spring 7, the pressure of which is adapted to be adjusted by means of an adjusting nut 8 and the opposite side communicates through a pipe 9 with the usual steam dome of the boiler A. y

Secured to piston 6 is ,a stem 10 which is pivotally connected to a bell crank lever 11 having a handle 12 for manually operating the lever.

'The valve mechanism 3 may comprise a Ycasing having` a -valve chamber 13containing 11 and the steam nected to one arm of the bell crank lever valve 18 is adapted to be operated by a rod 22 pivotally connected to a lever The auxiliary controller 2 may comprise acasing having a piston chamber 24 containingr a piston 25, one side of which is subject to the pressure oi a. coil spring 26 and the other sido being connected to a pipe 27 through which exhaust steam, rom the usual exhaust steam chamber l) of the locomo` tive, is supplied tothe piston.

The piston 25 is provided with a piston stem, 28 havinga a pin 29 at the outenend adapted to work in an inclined slot 30 provided wt one end of the lever 23, the oppo site end of the lever being pivotally oonnected to rod 21.

In order to operate the dempers, a pivotally-mounted lever 31 is provided, to the opposite ends of which are pivotally connected rods 32 and 33 respectively connected to the dampers 34 and 35. An arm 36 secured to the lever 31 is pivotally connected to one end of a rod 37, the opposite end of .which is pivotally connected to the lever 23.

In operation, steam at boiler pressure acts on piston 6 and when the steam pressure exceeds the adjusted pressure of spring 7 the piston 6 will be s ifted to the right a distance corresponding with the rise in steam pressure and the valves Hand 18 are then actuated throu h the hell crank lever 11 to vary the size o the openings through which liquid fuel and atomizing steam are supplied to the fuel burners C, the valve 18 being' actuated through the lever 23, with the pin 29 acting as a fulcrum point for the lever.

When the boiler pressure falls, the spring 7 acts to more the piston (i to the left and thus edect the movement of the valves 14 and 18 to increase the respective port open ings.

The rocking of the lever 23 on the pivot pin 29 also operaties the rod 37 so as to move the -dampers 311 and 35 and thus vary theA natural d mit openings of the as 1 pan E.

Exhaust steam pressure acts on piston and Awhen the exhaust steam pressure increases due to the operation of the locomotive under heavy duty, the piston 25 is shift ed t0 the right, and the pin 29 acts in the slot 30 so` as to depress the lover 23, the` pivotal connection of the lever 23 to the rod 21 acting` as a fulcrum. The rod 22 is there uponnctuatcd to increase the opening of the steam valve 18 andthe damper operating rod 37 is also operated to vary the damper openings.

. When the `exhaust steam pressure falls,

o the ,steam valve 18 is moved to restrict the ponti-openings iwhile the dampers are moved in,t.he opposite direction. y i o It-will be notedthat the operation of the auxiliary controller does not eect the fuel valve 14, while the operation of the main controller causes the movement of the fuel .valve as well as the'atomizing steam valve and the dempers.

The above described operation of the aux liary controller is adapted for a condition where the fuel burners are located at the forward part of the Firebox, in which case, when the locomotive is working heavily, the tendency is for the draft in the fines to pull the lire forward, so that it is necessary to increase the amount of steam for atomizing;I to overcome the effect oi' the forced draft through the flues and tend to draw the lire to the extreme rear end of the tire-box.

On the other hand, if the 'luel burners are located in the back of the lire-hex and the flame directly forward, the increased forced draft occasioned by the engine work.

ing heavily, tends to pull the fire in the direction of the llues, so that in this case it would he desirable to have the operation of the auxiliary controller reversed, so as to decrease the amount of atomizing steam as the exhaust steam pressure is increased.

It will be evident that the auxiliary conW troller operates independently of the main controller to vary the position of the steam valve and the dempers, but nvhen a change in the boiler pressure occurs, the parts are operated to vary the supply of liquid fuel, atomizing steam, and the position of the dan'lpers, the lever still Working about the pin 29 as 2a fulcrum, althonghthe position of the pin 29 in the slot 30 may have been changed due to the operation of the auxiliary controller.

A. blower valve for controlling?r the flow ot steam from thc boiler to thc usual blower nozzle G may be automatically controlled by the apparatus and for this purposev a valve device 38 may be provided comprising are ing having a valve chamber 39 comiectei'l to a live steam-pipe 40 and containing a valve Ll1 for controlling communication from said valve chamber to a pipe 42 which leads to the blower nozzle G The valves). is provided with a stem -l-JS adapted to engage a pad 44 formed on the lever23. l

Under the condition of lon' boiler pros" sure and substantially no exhaust shczun pressure, the piston 6 being in its extreme left hand position, the pad 44 will hold the stem 43 elevated and valve 41 oli its seat, so that live steam is supplied to the blovver nozzle to create the necessary forced draft.

It will be noted that outward movement of piston 25 by exhaustsgj-fsteam pressure causes the movement of pad away from stem 43, so that the valve 41 will close and thus cut ofi' the iiow ofstcam to the blower nozzle.

The movement of the valve 41 is also effected by the movement of lever 23 through the o eration of the main controller 1, so that vt e 0 eration of said valve is dependent upon t e action of the main controller, the auxiliary controller, or the combined action of the controllers, with the result that the Valve 4l is moved proportionately with au increase or decrease in boiler or exhaust steam pressure, insuring the desired amount of forceddraft through the stack either through the engine exhaust passage or the blower nozzle.

If it is desired to provide for manual as well as automatic operation, the connecting pin 45 of the bell crank lever 1,1 is removed and then the parts may be operated normally by shifting the handle 12. the lever being held in its adjusted position by a spring pawl 46 adapted to engage in notches 4. of a ratchet bar 48.

It will be understood that |With the manual operation, the auxiliary controller 2 is still effective to move the parts in accordance with variations in exhaust steam pres-I sure.

The apparatus above described is also adapted .to use powdered fuel instead of liouid fuel, and in this case, air may be employcd instead of atomizing steam for moving and distributing the powdered fuel.

Having now described ou!1 invention, what We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a boiler stolring apparatus for liquid fuel, the combination With a valve device for supplying steam for atomizing the fuel, of means controlled by exhaust steam pressure from an engine operated by steam froina boiler heated by the burningr of liquid fuel for operatingr said valve device.

2. In a boiler stolring apparatus for liquid fuel the combination with a valve de- -vice for .varying the supply of steam for atomizing the fuel, of a piston device operated according to variations in exhaust steam pressure from an en 'ne operated by steam from a boiler heatedzlby the burning of liquid fuel for operating said valve de: vice.

3. In a boiler stoking apparatus for liquidvfuel, the combination With a valve device for varying the supply of steam for atomizin the fuel and means for varying the Supp y of air for combustion, of a. iston device operated by variations in ex aust steam pressure from an engine operated by steam from a boiler heated by the burning of liquid fuel for operating said valve device and said means.

4. Ina boiler stoking apparatusfor liq uid fuel, the combination with means for supplying steam for atomizing the fuel, of

a main controller operated, by variations in boiler pressure and an auxiliary controller operated by variations 1n exhaust steam pressure for controlling from an engine op- Verated by steam from a boiler heated bv the exhaust steam pressure froni au engine operated by steam from a boiler heated by the burning of liquid fuel for operating said valve and said means.

G. In a boiler stoking apparatus for liquid fuel, the combination with a valve for supplyin steam for atmnizing the fuel and a 'valve or varying thefuel supply, AAof a main controller operated by variations in boiler pressure for operating said valves and an auxiliary controller operated by variations in exhaust steam pressure from an engine operated by steam from a boiler heated by the burning of 'liquid fuel for also effecting the ogm-ation of the atomizinU steam valve.

I'n a boiler Vstoking apparatus for liquid fuel, the combination with a valve for varying the Supply of steam for atoznizing the fuel and a valve for varying the supply of fuel, of manually operated means for actuating said valves and a controller operated by variations in exhaust steam pressure from an engine operated by steam from a boiler heated by the burning of liquid fupl for also operating said atomlzing steam va ve.

8. In a boiler stoking apparatus for liquid fuel, the combination with a valve for varyingthe supply of steam for atomizing the fuel, a valve for varying the supply of fuel, and means for varying the supply of air for combustion of the fuel, of a main controller operated by variations in boiler pressure for operating said valves and said means and an auxiliary controller operated by variations in exhaust steam pressure from 'an engine operated by steam from a boiler heated by the burning of liquid fuel foroperating the atomizing steam -valve and. said means.

9. In a boiler stokingapparatus forliquid fuel, the combination with a valve for varying the supply of steam for atomizing the fuel and a valve for varying the supply of fuel, of a lever for actuating said valves, a main controller operated by variations in boiler pressure for actuating said lever to operate said valves, and an auxiliary controller operated by variations in exhaust steam rassure from an en ine o erated by steam rom a boiler heate by tllb burning of liquid fuel for actuating said lever to operate said atomizing steam valve only.

10. In a boiler stoking apparatus, `the combination with a valve for su pl ing steam from the boiler to force the (ira t, of means operated by exhaust steam pressure from an engine operated by steam from a boiler heated by the burnngol liquid fuel for operatinr said valve.

11. In aoiler stoking apparatus, the rombination with a valve for supplying steam from the boiler to force the draft, of means operatori upon a decrease in boiler pressureiand upon a decrease in exhaust steam pressure Jfrom an engine operated by steam from a boiler heated by the burning of liquid fuel for operating said valve.

12. ln a boiler stoking apparatus, the combination with a valve for supplying steam from the-boiler to force the draft, of means operated by exhaust steam pressure from an engine operated by steam from a boiler heated by the burning of liquifl fuel for supplying steam for atomizing the fuel and adapted upon a deorease in exhaust steam rossure for operating said valve.

13. n a boiler stoking apparatus, the combination with a valve for supplying steam from the `boiler to force the draft, of means operated by boiler pressure for Supplying steam for atomizing the fuel and. adapted upon a deoreae in boiler pressure for openin f sairljvalve.

14. In aboiler stoking apparatus for liquid fuel, the con'ibination with a valve for variyin the supply .of steam for atomizing the fungi a valve for varying the fuel supply, and means `for varying the supply of air for combustion, of a lever for actuating said valves and said means, a main controller operated by variational in boiler pressure for actuating said lever to operate said valves and said means, and an auxiliary controller operated by variations in exhaust steam reseure from an engine operated by steam rom a boiler heated by the burning "of liquid fuel for actuating said lever to operato the atomizing steam valve and said means. y

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands.

UARLTN D. STEWTART SIDNEY G. DOWN. 

